Jun 5 E3 2017 Predictions

E3 2017 is quickly coming up on June 11 - 15 and we are expecting to see a ton of great content for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Of course, it wouldn’t be E3 if we didn’t bring along our lists of things we anticipate seeing and things we hope to see.

For this list, I am using over twenty years of experience covering the industry. This list may include titles that are rumored but have not yet been announced. I also am not breaking any NDA’s or leaking any insider information that is supposed to be kept under wraps. I will be breaking down my list between platforms: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Bethesda, EA, and Ubisoft.

NintendoNintendo is in a really good place right now For a company that just saw its worst home console failure in the history of the company with the Wii U, Nintendo is sitting pretty with the March 2017 release of the Nintendo Switch. The system is still sold out worldwide and people everywhere want to get their hands on this amazing hybrid home console and handheld platform.

Nintendo also has a successful handheld in the 3DS and its 2DS iteration. I full expect to see the industry embrace the Switch like they did in the early days of the Wii. Except this time, the Third Party titles will fly off shelves and Nintendo Switch will become one of the greatest selling consoles in the history of the industry.

I also fully expect the buzz around Nintendo to be at an all-time high. Remember how Nintendo destroyed the competition at E3 2006 with the Wii? Expect E3 2017 to the the second-coming of Nintendo and it will eclipse what they did at E3 2006.

Here are my predictions for E3 2017 involving Nintendo:* Nintendo will get one last push on the 3DS and 2DS at E3. However, the focus will not be in their E3 Direct Video but in the form of other videos and coverage directly from Nintendo. They will not announce any big titles (***See last sentence***) for the fall but will be looking to entice gamers and families with the value of the system and large library. All currently announced titles will be staggered, from Nintendo, throughout the year. 2017 will be the last year Nintendo pushes and releases multiple games for the platform.

However, one big, new, title will be revealed for 3DS/2DS…* Nintendo will announce Pokemon Stars for the Nintendo Switch and 3DS/2DS. This title will be cross-save compatible with both 3DS/2DS and Switch Platforms similar to Monster Hunter XX. I expect Nintendo to sell each version separately, at retail, or a dual 3DS/2DS and Switch version if you buy it digitally.

* Super Smash Bros Deluxe will be announced for the Nintendo Switch and include a number or improvements, graphical tweaks, and new characters. There will also be more amiibo coming for the game that will unlock new features. * Everyone’s favorite Plumber, Super Mario, will be center stage for Nintendo this year as the Switch goes from its “soft launch” to its fully featured release. Super Mario Odyssey will be the big game this year as it will be announced for a November 2017 release. Nintendo will also reveal their plans to have more consoles on store shelves, globally, as we get closer to the release of Super Mario Odyssey.

* Metroid fans will have lots to cheer as Retro Studios will reveal the game they have been working on for the past multiple years. Metroid Prime 4 will be coming for the Nintendo Switch in Spring 2018.* However, Nintendo will not want Metroid fans to wait that long for a new game. Also revealed will be a new 2D Metroid game, possibly a remake or brand new game, that will be released digitally on Nintendo Switch this summer.

* Nintendo will reveal that select GameCube games will be available on Nintendo Switch. However, they aren’t quite ready to call this Virtual Console. The games will start releasing the day of their Nintendo Direct.* Natsume will reveal their plans for a new Harvest Moon title for Nintendo Switch.

SonyBeing a leader in the games industry is something that Sony has frequently found themselves in since the release of the PlayStation. Despite a late-generation tie with Microsoft last generation, Sony looks poised to break every sales record that exists with PlayStation 4. How can they hope to continue this momentum into 2017 and beyond? Well at E3, 2017, they will do their best to put the focus on them and not on the new Xbox Scorpio or the Nintendo Switch.

Here are my predictions for Sony:* Sony will announce a price drop for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro. This will put the PS4 family in a good place against a more expensive Nintendo Switch and a very expensive Xbox Scorpio.* Sony will double-down on their efforts to make PlayStation NOW a viable service by offering game rentals, a cheaper yearly plan, and fixing latency issues that made the service less than perfect.

* Many thought that the Vita was dead. I will sit in their press conference with my jaw on the floor as Sony reveals a relaunch of the Vita Platform and the ability to play PlayStation 4 games on it like a portable PS4 console. * You know, never mind, the Vita is dead and Sony should never release another handheld. * Like the Vita, Sony will ignore PSVR as its sales have not been high. It will get relatively no coverage on stage. No AAA games, from Sony, will be shown and the platform won’t be worth picking up. The only mention of PSVR will be from Media Molecule’s Dreams. That beta will start the night of June 12 and be available to all PSVR users worldwide.

* Quantum Dream will reveal that their next title Detroit: Become Human will release in 2018. A demo will be shown and it will look even better than its last showing.* God of War will get an amazing Demo that will amaze the fanbase and it will be announced as a Spring 2018 title.* Days Gone will be the featured title for Sony this fall and it will get another great demo.

* Sony will surprise everyone with the announcement of PlayStation All Stars Round 2. No release date or many details will be revealed. * With the delay of Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar will take the Sony Press Conference stage to show off a glimpse of the game. Exclusive content for the PlayStation 4 will be revealed.

* Sucker Punch will show off a brand new game for the PlayStation 4. While the safe bet is a new inFAMOUS or Sly Cooper, I am expecting something brand new.* Capcom will take the stage to reveal the remake of Resident Evil 2 will be coming to PlayStation 4 later in 2017.* FROM Software, taking a break from Dark Souls, will show off an amazing demo for Bloodborne 2. This title will ship in 2018.* With the new version of Crash Bandicoot, new versions of Spyro the Dragon, The Legend of Dragoon, Ape Escape, and Medieval will be revealed for the platform.

MicrosoftAfter dominating most of the last generation, before Sony caught up with them at the end, Microsoft has stumbled this entire new console generation, their third. Once the head of Xbox got replaced with Phil Spencer, they were able to stabilize some things but never fully recover from the previous mistakes. Now with this generation slipping, can Microsoft turn things around?

I don’t expect this E3 to be as positive as some may. I don’t feel Microsoft has the internal studios that either Sony or Nintendo has to compete with the competition and I don’t see them making an acquisition of a Third Party they would need to have the Development power of their console making peers.

What they do have is Scorpio and it will be, at least for this year, the most powerful console ever made. We will learn all the details about this and if Microsoft can start catching up to Sony.

Here are my predictions for Microsoft at E3 2017:* CD Projekt RED will show off Cyberpunk 2077. It will be the first real look we have seen of this title in several years. However, this is not a 2018 title and probably won’t release until 2019. If CD Projekt RED doesn’t show off this title at the Xbox Press Conference, I would expect it to be at the PC Gaming Show.* The original Xbox games will get added to the Backwards Compatibility List starting this month. Microsoft will work to include all previously compatible Xbox titles to work on Xbox One.

*Warner Bros will show off their next Batman Title: Batman: Arkham Insurgency. This is a sequel to Arkham Origins and a prequel to Arkham Knight. Exclusive content will be made available to Xbox owners.* Scorpio will get a new official name. Microsoft has been debating 3 names: Xbox One Pro, Xbox One X, and one other that I do not know. For me, I would love to see it called Xbox as it would signal that this is the generation that will be ever iterated on and won’t end. But I don’t know what to think on this except what about Xbox One Elite and it could be paired with a new, updated Elite controller?

* Microsoft will shock the world by announcing a $399 price point for the new Scorpio console (whatever it is ultimately called).* Microsoft will reveal several first party titles with free 4K updates including reCore, Gears of War 4, Gears of War Ultimate, Forza Motorsport, and more.

* If Sony doesn’t get Red Dead Redemption 2 at their Press Conference, a 4K reveal for the new Scorpio sure would be nice.* VR support will be included with Scorpio. It will not launch until Spring 2018.* Although a trade-in program for previous Xbox One owners was previously announced last year, it will be conveniently forgotten this year.* There is one unknown exclusive AAA game that Microsoft will reveal that will come out this year. I would guess it is not from an internal studio but a partnership with an outside studio. This would indicate it would be a timed exclusive for Xbox if true.

BethesdaBethesda, once known for just The Elder Scrolls games has built itself a nice library of franchises and some really excellent Developers across multiple platforms. Many E3’s ago, Bethesda would do a single demo for their big game and have an awesome E3 party to go to. In the last several years, Bethesda has transitioned away from Parties and demos in a closed door booth, and moved on to a big Press Conference.

I have to be honest, I was not really expecting there to be a Press Conference this year from Bethesda because I didn’t think they would have enough titles coming out shortly to make it worthwhile. Apparently, I am completely wrong and we are getting 3 to 5 games shown from Bethesda.

Here are my predictions for what we will see at their E3 2017 Press Conference:* Pete Hines, head of Marketing and PR at Bethesda, has gone on record stating that both The Evil Within and RAGE have performed well enough to warrant sequels. With id Software busy with Quake, that leaves The Evil Within 2 as a slam dunk for what they will show. This title, known as Psycho Break, in Japan, is Developed by Bethesda’s partner studio Tango Gameworks.

The Evil Within was known as Project Zwei in Development and its Game Director is Shinji Mikami. Mikami is the creator of the Resident Evil franchise so he knows a thing or two about Survival Horror.

The original Evil Within was released in October 2014 and we have heard nothing from Tango Gameworks since then. I can’t wait to see how they have improved upon the Survival Horror formula in this title.

* The next title I expect Bethesda to announce is Wolfenstein The New Colossus. This will be the followup to the DLC Expansion Wolfenstein The Old Blood. Brain Bloom, who voices lead character BJ Blazkowicz, says maybe something new was coming. That something will be revealed at E3.

* With the next Elder Scrolls sequel still years away, the money is on a brand new game being shown at the Bethesda Press Conference. That game will be Fallout New Orleans. While I would love for this to come from Obsidian, I am not sure who is handling development on this one. However, in my opinion, this is the surprise game Bethesda will end their Press Conference with

EAEA is the only Press Conference I am not attending during E3. It is taking place on Saturday, June 10 and I was not arriving early enough, to LA, to make it. I expect EA to show off their latest Star Wars Projects and new Sports updates.

Here are the specific games I am predicting to be revealed at E3 2017:* After the bad reception of Mass Effect Andromeda, the franchise has been put aside for the foreseeable future. Fortunately for Bioware and EA, they have a couple of projects on the way. The first one is Dragon Age 4. This will continue with the success they had with Dragon Age 3 and could be a title across all platforms in 2017.* The second Bioware title that could be shown at the EA Press Conference could be Bioware’s secret, new IP: Project Dylan. This is a multiplayer title that has gameplay like The Division and has been in development for quite some time.

* The last game I think could be shown off at EA’s Press Conference in the story-based 3D Action/Adventure game set in the Star Wars Universe. This is the game that brought Amy Hennig—formerly of Naughty Dog—to EA as its Game Director. Also on board with this game is Kim Swift, Portal Lead Designer, and Jade Raymond, Executive Producer of the Original Assassin’s Creed.

This game is in Development by Visceral Games—the Developers behind Dead Space and Battlefield: Hardline.

UbisoftUbisoft is the last of the Third Party Press Conferences and we will hear all their announcements on Monday, June 12. While I would normally include a title like Far Cry 5 and Mario + Rabbids on this list, both have been very heavily leaked or already revealed. We can be sure that both of those titles will be there, Ubisoft should have some other interesting announcements as well.

Here are the titles I predict Ubisoft will reveal at E3 2017:* Sam Fisher will make his return to Los Angeles as Ubisoft will reveal the next incarnation of the Splinter Cell franchise during their Press Conference. This will be a 2018 planned release.* While not many details will be shown, we will get a Winter 2018 Release Date for Beyond Good and Evil 2 for the Nintendo Switch.

Kaleb is the Editor & Publisher of CVGames and the host of the Parents Press Play Podcast. As a husband and homeschooling father to four boys, Kaleb provides a unique perspective on the gaming industry alongside other areas of entertainment and technology that have been enhanced by his 20+ years of covering these fields.

When not podcasting at Parents Press Play or covering the industry at CVGames, Kaleb loves to bowl, cook, spend time with his family, and cheer on the San Francisco 49ers and Texas Rangers. However, the truth is that he can never get enough time sharing his love of video games and other areas of entertainment and technology that he covers through his website and podcast!

Kaleb is the Editor & Publisher of CVGames and the host of the Parents Press Play Podcast. As a husband and homeschooling father to four boys, Kaleb provides a unique perspective on the gaming industry alongside other areas of entertainment and technology that have been enhanced by his 20+ years of covering these fields.

When not podcasting at Parents Press Play or covering the industry at CVGames, Kaleb loves to bowl, cook, spend time with his family, and cheer on the San Francisco 49ers and Texas Rangers. However, the truth is that he can never get enough time sharing his love of video games and other areas of entertainment and technology that he covers through his website and podcast!